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Friday, November 26, 2010

Just one last holiday show announcement: Yarmouth Arts Holiday Art Walk will be next Saturday, Dec. 4 from 4 to 7PM. 10 paintings from 5 artists will be auctioned, benefiting the Yarmouth Performing Arts Center's purchase of a new piano. I will be at Evans Ceramics (across the street from the Yarmouth Frameshop) with these two paintings. My plan is to run over to the Frameshop a few times during the event for our show there. So much art, so little time!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

I'm pleased to have recently become a member of the Concord Art Association, in Concord, MA. This summer I did a lot of painting in Massachusetts, spending many early weekday mornings painting en plein air, and it's nice to have a local venue for that work. These are my contributions to the association's Holiday Originals Show, which opens next week.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Now that it's so dark, I'm getting back into painting inside and trying out what I'm learning with the Peggi Kroll-Roberts DVDs. This lady was on the beach in Sanibel last March, doing what everyone does on that beautiful island, looking for shells. I wander around pointing my camera this way and that, hoping my models don't notice that I'm snapping their pictures too.

Friday, November 19, 2010

What a season this is going to be for holiday shows! I told you about the "Anything Goes" Exhibit at River Arts in a previous post. We'll also be having the annual small works show at the Yarmouth Frameshop and Gallery, with an opening on Saturday, Dec. 4th from 4-7PM. The card and two of my paintings that will be in the show are shown above. I would love to see you at the opening.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Sketching trucks is like sketching boats, except a bit easier since they don't move (unless someone gets in and drives them away). It's a good exercise when there aren't any boats available. I saw these today at lunch in the parking lot of my favorite sub shop. Don't they say that truck drivers know where the best food is?

Thursday, November 11, 2010

This is my second attempt at Jess on the sofa, using a photo and the previous painting as references. I wanted to have less contrast in the shadows and lights on her face this time, and I think I got it. I've veered pretty far from the simplified shadow mass exercise though (which should just have one dark for all the shadows) but I like this one all the same.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

I'm pleased to announce that two of my paintings have been chosen for the upcoming "Anything Goes" show at River Arts in Damariscotta, ME. This is the first time I've entered a juried show and I'm so pleased to have these paintings chosen. The show runs from November 12th through December 31st. I hope you have a chance to stop by.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

It's such fun to paint with a model! My niece visited this weekend and was nice enough to sit for me after taking a look at one of the Peggi Kroll-Roberts DVDs. And she was a great model. Here's my first effort, which started out as the lesson on simplified shadow mass, but got too complicated before I stopped. I think the darks are too dark, and there is too much contrast between the darks and lights in the face, but I was happy with it for a first effort. I took some photos for future use when I have no model.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

At first glance, sketching boats in the water seems difficult; they move around so much. Here's a tip: when boats are on a mooring, they swing back and forth in response to the wind (the side of the boat acts as a sail, catching the wind), the current, and the restraint of the mooring line. What that gives us sketchers is at least two views of the boat, the extremes as it swings back and forth. Just ignore what happens in the middle and wait for the extremes, the boat always comes back to the same place. Here's a page in my sketch book with a few quick sketches of a friend's lobster boat on its mooring.

Monday, November 1, 2010

These were done from top left, top right, bottom left, to bottom right, on three mornings at Grigg's Farm in Billerica, MA. The subject matter is pretty much the same in each one. I was trying to translate the Peggi Kroll-Roberts figure studies into the landscape, and the 10 minute limit (which I exceeded several times) was to help me put down the shapes once and leave them. Anyone have any favorites or comments on the progression?